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False killer whales are mammals and members
of the dolphin family.
False Killer Whale Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Pseudorca
Species: Crassidens
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Size: Male fase killer whales are larger
than their female counterparts. Female false
killer whales reach 15 feet in length and weigh
up to 2600 lbs. Male killer whales measure 20
feet in length and weigh up to 4,800 lbs.
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False Killer Whales
Conservation Status: Insufficient
Data
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Description: False killer whales have a small
conical head without a beak, and they have slender
streamlined bodies. False killer whales are dark gray
to black with lighter shading on their underside.
Habitat: False killer whales prefer tropical
to temperate waters that are deeper than 3,300 feet.
False killer whales are found in the Mediterranean
Sea, Red Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific
Ocean and of the coast of Hawaii.
Diet: False killer whales feed primarily on
squid and large fish.
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Communication: False killer whales
use sounds for echolocation and to communicate
with each other.
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Did You Know?
As the name implies, False killer
whales share a number of characteristics,
with the Orca or Killer Whale. Like
the orca, the False killer whale kills
other cetaceans (whales).
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Sexual Maturity: False killer whales sexually
mature around the age of 12. False killer whales give
birth every 7 years.
Gestation: False killer whales carry their
young for 14 to 16 months.
Birth: False killer whales are 5.3-6.5 feet
in length,
Calves: False killer whale calves are weaned
between 1.5-2 years.
Life Span: The average life span of false
killer whales are 58-62 years.
Social Structure: False killer whales are
gregarious, highly social, they form strong social
bonds. False killer whales are found in pods of 10-20
whales. False killer whales can also be part of much
larger pods of 40-100 whales.
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